A letter to my Year 13 self

As you go through the next five years, having chosen to pursue your dreams and hop on the wild rollercoaster ride that is the future, you’ll always look back on this final year of high school and remember it as one of the best years of your life.

As you go through the next five years, having chosen to pursue your dreams and hop on the wild rollercoaster ride that is the future, you’ll always look back on this final year of high school and remember it as one of the best years of your life.

So, for the rest of your year, here are ten things to remember.

Please don’t stress. When you’re completing assignments late at night and haven’t seen sunlight for what feels like days, having spent hours at a desk attempting to study for an upcoming exam, remember that there’s more to life than this looming task right in front of you. It is only a small thing in the epic challenge that is life and in five months time, you definitely won’t be stressing about it. Go for a walk and then make a cup of tea and then start again.

Perspective is SO important. When life is overwhelming you, take a step back and look at the bigger picture.

Don’t be afraid to try something new, especially if you feel it pulling on your heart strings. Yes, you may never have done this thing before, but you’ve always dreamt of doing it, so why not give it a go! Who knows where it will take you.

Don’t wait to start doing what you want to do when you grow up. Do it now. If you have an idea of what you want your future to look like or who you want to be, whether it’s your dream career or creating your own company, start taking small steps to this dream right now. Small steps every day are what lead to big beautiful things. The best time to start something is always right now.

Nurture your friendships. Friends will be there for you – not just during your days of sunshine, but also during your pouring thunderstorms. Make sure your friends believe in your dreams as much as you do. Believe in each other. Support each other. Also forget about high school clichés…go out and make new friends! You have only one year left with these remarkable people so get to know everyone.

Friends are everything.

And always remember, that to have a friend, is to be a friend.

Romantic relationships are wonderful, but at this point in your life don’t put too much pressure on them! You’re only young and your life will be full of many wonderful experiences with different people. Whether you’re single or dating, don’t worry or get carried away, just enjoy where you are at right now. And always remember the most important relationship you can ever have is the one with yourself…

So BE YOURSELF! This is your time to shine! Work on the relationship you have with yourself. Find ways to nurture yourself and learn to love yourself. Only you can make yourself happy. Once you’ve found your happiness, your positive attitude will impact on all those around you too.

If you’re stuck, just think of this Dr Seuss quote: “Be who you are and say what you feel. Because those who mind don’t matter and those who matter don’t mind.”

Spend time lots of time with your family. Appreciate them. Parents can be annoying but as you get older you’ll realise that they are only ever wanting the absolute best for you. Maybe next year you’ll be moving out and heading to university or travelling the world and you won’t see your family as often. So, make the most of every moment. Surprise your mum with a shoulder rub. Shout your dad an ice cream. Bake cookies for your siblings. Cook dinner for everyone, go on that family road trip.

You’ll look back and realise how precious those moments were.

Get to know your teachers more. Ask them what advice they’d give to their Year 13 selves. Learn about their stories and how they got to where they are now. They’ll inspire you and even years down the track, they’ll still remember you.

Every day notice the little things. Simple things, like your friend buying you chocolate from the canteen, the bus driver waiting for you, that excellent grade you didn’t expect. At the end of the day, it’s the little things that make life truly remarkable.

Lastly have fun and let your hair down! Work hard and play hard. Life isn’t meant to be serious and heavy, it’s meant to be a wild ride of exhilarating experiences and this year is one of them! Dance – in the morning when you’re making your breakfast and in the corridors of school.

Be silly, be honest, be kind.

And be grateful. Everything that is occurring, whether bad or good, is teaching you something about yourself and who you are.

So, go make this year a remarkable one.

My name is Samantha Mythen and most of the time you’ll be able to find me napping in some sunshine, tripping over myself as I gaze up at the night sky, wandering through a field of flowers or with eyes wide open as I look in awe at this extraordinary world from a mountaintop view.

Aside from that, I am a third year uni student living in Aotearoa, New Zealand with massive dreams and a passion to make these dreams a reality. Currently I study Law, but basically the goal is to be a ski instructor and a journalist. And well maybe a human rights lawyer too.

Mostly though, I want to make a positive change in the world. I have a creative soul and I absolutely love to write and inspire others, such as writing in my blog Seizethesunrise.com.”